


Golden

by everyshootingstar



Series: From Certain Death [1]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Mass Effect Fusion, First Meetings, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-09 02:19:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11659596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everyshootingstar/pseuds/everyshootingstar
Summary: Engineer Alexander Lightwood's in for a big surprise when he's allowed to tag along on Commander Shepard's mission to Tuchanka, the krogan home planet.The ball drops several moments later, Shepard salutes back and Alec falls into a parade rest, back straight,I want to bring you to Tuchanka with me. We’re meeting with the Urdnot Clan leader and I hear that you’ve been…interested in the intricacies interspecies politics. I think this would be a good opportunity for you to learn more.





	Golden

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hi, this is a project I've been working on for a while now lmao. It started as me and one of my favorite people talking about how Cerberus from Mass Effect and the Circle were...literally the same thing? Just in different time periods. And then it turned into "what if the SH guys were thrust into this space-faring universe?"
> 
> Now, if you're familiar with the Mass Effect trilogy, you'll recognize that this one takes place during the second game and if you're not familiar then it's alright! Because as I add more to this universe, it'll all become clearer, but really, if you have any questions feel free to drop a comment or go to [my tumblr](http://shiphoose.tumblr.com) and send me an ask/IM! I'll be happy to explain anything you don't understand!
> 
> I'm honestly not really good at writing really long fics that are multiple chapters, because I lose steam on those sorts of things and I know me and I'll _never_ finish it if I go that route and I really care about this project. Now, that's not to say that some parts won't have multiple chapters, it's just...this particular series will be out of order, and can be read as a standalone as of right now and is hopefully not too confusing. Again, if you have any questions about character motivations and such, please, feel free to let me know! I have a lot of information on this written down in places so I'm eager to share it!
> 
> This is my first big project for the SH fandom and while I have no book knowledge, I'm going to try and stick as close to the show characterizations as I can. So I appreciate any comments on how I'm doing and such! :)
> 
> You can find me on social media: [twitter](http://twitter.com/leeooser) and [tumblr](http://shiphoose.tumblr.com)!

As the doors to the elevator slide shut, Alec breathes a sigh of relief, the quietness of the cabin washing over him, _Good evening, Engineer Lightwood._

He bites back a not so nice retort about AIs spying, AIs being better _not seen or heard_ , but whenever his mouth tries forming the words, he finds it _not worth it_ , in the end; his first reaction to EDI being there shouldn’t be negative, she’s not _doing anything_ other than aiding Commander Shepard’s journey; he bites the inside of his lip, when did an AI become _she_ instead of _it._

In the end, he answers, _Hey EDI_ , his voice sounds weak and tired even to his own ears and he leans back against the cabin’s wall as it travels up from Engineering and to the crew deck, his back aches, he may not be doing _much_ in terms of _anything_ since Donnelly and Daniels joined up, but standing over a console all day, keeping an eye on the systems is _tiring work_.

_Forgive me for speaking freely, but you sound tired, Engineer Lightwood,_ EDI’s voice doesn’t carry any different inflection than usual, but Alec wonders if she’s asking for Cerberus or if she’s asking because she genuinely _cares_ (and he scoffs at that, can AI even feel emotion?).

Alec waits for a moment, breathes in and lets his head drop back against the metal wall, _EDI, do you think we’ll do it?_ he asks, cutting himself off before the _will we die, will we make it?_ spills from his mouth—the elevator’s stopped but the doors are still closed and Alec suspects that EDI has something to do with that; _There’s currently a fifty-two percent chance that we’ll fail._

He tries not to let her words cut him like the double-edged blade they are, and he opens his mouth to ask another question, but EDI speaks again, _Our chances for success will go up by three percent after we gain Grunt’s loyalty. Do not worry, Engineer Lightwood, Commander Shepard will see this through._

Biting back a groan at the optimism, Alec stands up straight as the doors slide open; he inclines his head in Garrus’ direction as the turian passes him to step onto the elevator and only when the doors slide close, does he realize he’s standing on the Crew Deck, staring at the closed elevator.

His bunk is nothing special, but it feels good to shed the fatigue jacket and boots and slide beneath the covers, he’ll maybe sleep for an hour or two, he’s not hopeful these days, but _maybe—_ and before he has a chance to think on it more, he’s asleep.

-

The first thing he registers when he wakes up, is that there’s someone beside him, the second thing he registers is, that someone is Jace and he’s shaking him awake, kneeled beside his bunk, _Alec, wake up, the Commander wants to see you._

He’s not sure if the night cycle is over yet, or if it’s still halfway through it, time sort of loses all meaning when you’ve been on a ship for months, when the only shore leave you have is ten or twenty minutes between each of the missions your Commander runs, but, he _does_ feel the tiniest bit refreshed as he kicks a socked foot against Jace’s shoulder before he moves to sit up, his body hunched over on the bottom bunk.

(Jace always teases him about it and offers to take the bottom bunk so Alec doesn’t have to squeeze himself into it every day, but Alec knows that Jace feels claustrophobic down there, that he can’t sleep, so Alec _always_ declines, brushing off his concerns about premature back problems, _Jesus Alec you’re only twenty-four and you’re already hobbling around like an old man_.

_I’m not sitting down here forever_ , Alec had told him, waving him off and standing, letting out a loud sigh as he stretched himself out properly. _It’s fine_.)

_Did he say why he wanted to see me?_ Alec mumbles, his voice still thick with sleep, he’s not tired anymore, but the exhaustion stays with him these days, heavy and thick in his bones, _I gave the readings on the core to Daniels…_

Jace shrugs, _Jacob passed the word along to me, said the Commander wanted to talk to you and that I’d know where to find you since you weren’t in Engineering._

Alec rubs his eyes, presses his thumbs real hard into his closed lids and sighs, _Right,_ he mumbles, yawns one last time before he stands. His boots stay unlaced by the cot, easy to slip into in case of an emergency; Jace is holding his jacket out for him, it’s not necessary for him to wear always, but the upper levels of the ship stays cool and Alec’s not used to it, instead, used to the warmth of the engine room.

He offers a smile in Jace’s direction and he’s rewarded with Jace’s own tired smile and a warm hand on his shoulder—thankful that now, he no longer experiences the butterflies around Jace, the crush dying out into something more platonic, brotherly.

-

He meets Commander Shepard on the bridge, by the galaxy map, he offers a smile in Kelly’s direction and Kelly winks back at him—he’s still not sure if she realizes he’s gay, but he doesn’t really push, he’s not sure of her or her motivations; he’s wary around _all_ of Cerberus, so he just stays clear of her. He’ll talk to her, sure, but he doesn’t go to her counseling sessions.

_You wanted to see me, Commander?_ Alec says, standing at attention, waiting.

When Commander Shepard turns around, he looks surprised, _Lightwood,_ he says, _I told you to call me Shepard,_ his voice sounds a little rough, but there’s a sort of joking quality to it but the haunted look in his eyes makes the words fall flat, _At ease,_ he finally says, saluting back to Alec.

He drops into a relaxed stance, keeping his shoulders firm, back straight, ‘ _at ease, Alexander_ ,’ he can almost hear his mother say, ‘ _You never hunch around your superior officer’,_ _You wanted to see me, Commander?_

Shepard sighs and rubs a hand across his face, but doesn’t comment on Alec’s politeness, _You’ve helped a lot in engineering,_ he begins, _Tali has nothing but good things to say about you and how you took charge when figuring out the inefficiencies with the drive core._

This is…not what Alec was expecting when the Commander asked to speak to him; he’s…not sure _what_ he expected, but the praise isn’t...it’s not unwelcome, but surprising, and Alec takes a moment, breathes in and salutes, _Thank you sir,_ he begins, _Donnelly and Daniels were very helpful as well, I couldn’t have done it without them._

There’s a giggle from behind Shepard which sounds suspiciously like Kelly, but he ignores it and stares ahead, waiting for Shepard to do something, to _say_ something.

The ball drops several moments later, Shepard salutes back and Alec falls into a parade rest, back straight, _I want to bring you to Tuchanka with me. We’re meeting with the Urdnot Clan leader and I hear that you’ve been…interested in the intricacies interspecies politics. I think this would be a good opportunity for you to learn more._

Alec’s eyes widen, his stance falls, _Sir?_ He asks, voice cracking a little, _Sir I’m just an engineer._

Shepard’s smile is a little dangerous then and Alec can hear EDI’s voice in the back of his mind, telling him that whatever the odds, Shepard can get them through this, _You are but you’ve got incredible potential;_ he says, _Also you’re a damn good shot and it never hurts to have an extra set of eyes if we run into trouble._  

_I won’t let you down sir,_ Alec manages to force the words out around the sound of his own heart, pounding in his ears; he feels faint, like he might need to lie down even though he’s _just_ woken up, _When do we arrive?_

Shepard reaches out, hand warm on his shoulder, _It’s going to be fine, Lightwood,_ he says reassuringly, _We’ll be there by the next day cycle._

It feels almost like a death sentence; he’s only been off the ship a handful of times, even with Saren and Sovereign, he was right by Adams, working away at keeping the engine room under control, he’s had shore leave, sure, but _never_ a mission.

Hell, he’s only met the councilors at the Citadel—

_That all, sir?_ He breathes, pretty certain he’s still staring at Shepard with wide eyes and when Shepard nods and salutes, Alec can’t move fast enough, saluting sloppily and hurrying back towards the elevator—

_There you are Big Brother!_ Izzy’s voice catches him off guard and he startles, nearly stumbling into one of the lieutenants coming off the elevator, _Alec? Alec, are you alright?_

Out of everyone on the original Normandy crew, Izzy had settled in the best, taken under Mordin’s tutelage shortly after Shepard has recruited him to study the Collectors; Alec had Tali at least, someone _familiar_ , he _also_ has Donnelly and Daniels, two people he doesn’t know all that well, who work with _Cerberus_ ; Jace has Jacob now, _another_ Cerberus soldier, something that doesn’t sit too well with Alec—they don’t _know_ , Jace and Izzy don’t know about their parents.

(He wants to keep it that way, even if he has to shoulder his distrust in Cerberus alone.)

_Jace told me you had a meeting with Shepard,_ Izzy says, sidling up to him, her arm hooking through his as she draws him over to the doors leading to Mordin’s lab, _How did it go?_

Its only when they’re _finally_ in the lab that Alec feels like he can breathe, _He wants me to go with him to Tuchanka._

Izzy pulls away and looks up at him with wide, excited eyes, _Really?_ She asks, voice nearly a whisper, _Alec that’s amazing!_

He leans against the wall by the upgrade console, crosses his arms against his chest, _I feel like I’m going to mess something up,_ he says, _What if I insult the entire Urdnot Clan somehow?_

Izzy reaches out, pulls his arms from their crossed position, _Alec, you’re the only one out of the three of us that studied others’ customs more than you focused on your Alliance training,_ she says, grinning up at him, _If anything you’ll charm the entire clan._

_If that fails, Krogan like headbutting,_ Mordin chimes in from across the lab, _Headbutt Krogan for respect._

Alec goes red in the face and Izzy laughs, _Ignore him. You’re going to be fine._

-

His parents hadn’t been too happy when he mentioned joining the Alliance with Jace and Izzy; in fact, his father had said several not so nice things about being gay and being military, and his mother, while she didn’t _say_ anything, her look was, at best, a disapproving sort of look that was usually only reserved for whenever Jace got locked up by C-Sec to sleep off a late night at Chora’s Den.

The day he enlisted, fatigues new and stiff, his mother had looked at him, her eyes calculating, her painted lips turned down in a frown, _You can do so much better, Alexander._

(Politics, his parents wanted a politician, the Alliance had given them tremendous power, a strong military family they were, but even _stronger_ , if their eldest son would have gone into politics instead of joining the ranks of a mismatched crew of alien and human to stop a Spectre—hell, even being _on the same crew_ as the _first human Spectre_ wasn’t enough for Maryse and Robert Lightwood, neither of them able to gain a spot on the Citadel Council due to their ties to Cerberus— _hell,_ if they could see their children now, working under Cerberus—

_No_. **_No._** Commander Shepard was _not_ Cerberus. Cerberus was a horrible group, Alec had heard enough from Shepard, from Garrus even, to know that—he’d _seen_ things during their hunt to stop Saren to know that Cerberus wasn’t good _at all_ , but— _but_ , they were the only ones willing to figure out this mess with the Collectors, they _brought back_ Commander Shepard after Alec had seen, first hand, the wreckage from the ship—it hurt to think about now. _Still_.)

Alec wonders, where his parents had gone into hiding, after Cerberus was revealed to be _bad_ , he wonders what they’d think now, he’s _just_ an Engineer still, but he’s going on a mission with the Commander, a _diplomatic_ mission.

Interspecies politics was still a sore subject these days, and the Krogan were _not_ on the friendliest terms with _anyone_ really and he’s not _worried_ , but Alec’s interaction with others _outside_ of the races that held council seats were…practically null at this point—he knew of the Quarians, of Tali, mostly, but she was only one _single_ member of the entire Quarian race. Wrex’s stay on the ship was brief and Alec had _never_ had a chance to sit down, one on one and discuss Krogan customs with him, not that Wrex was one to talk about himself or his race, _especially_ not to humans who he barely trusted; those who wore Alliance blues. (Shepard was the exception to that rule, Shepard was _always_ the exception.)

He knew they housed a tank bred Krogan on the Normandy, that Shepard had rescued one—Izzy had spoken highly of him, Grunt, and that, despite being tank bred, he was strong, a perfect fit in their mismatched team; even Mordin spoke about Grunt in a positive—or as positive as Mordin could speak; light, so he _shouldn’t_ be nervous.

_Shouldn’t_ being the key word, at least.

-

Alec’s gear, for the most part, was as basic as gear could get; Alliance blue and minimal, something he’d carried over the years, even as Shepard’s collection of armor grew during the events of their fight with Saren and Sovereign—he’d offered it as a peace offering to his new crew and some took it—Izzy had and so had Jace, but Alec kept the basic armor he’d gotten his last day of boot camp.

Jace had given him a breather helmet for his twenty-second birthday, shortly after Shepard’s disappearance, there was a faded N7 scratched off the side, painted over carefully—it was no secret that Shepard had been the only commanding officer that Alec looked up to and that losing him had hit everyone, even the crew, hard.

When he steps down to the shuttle bay, carrying his helmet under his arm, Shepard glances over at him, eyes casting down to the scratched, worn paint—there’s a ghost of a smile on his lips and Alec’s lips quirk up at the corner, a half-smile back; he catches sight of a shakily painted N7 on the shoulder of Shepard’s armor—Jacob’s got a Cerberus patch on his armor, orange and white and obvious and Grunt’s armor is plain, monochrome.

He takes a deep breath and steps forward; Jace and Izzy stand over by the door of the shuttle bay, watching him—this is a big mission, an _important_ mission; something Grunt needs and _they_ need Grunt to be in top form, ready for _anything_ , he nods at Shepard, at Jacob and then at Grunt before climbing into the shuttle.

-

Tuchanka is unforgiving and warm, the sun beating down harshly on them and Alec watches in fascination as Grunt steps off the shuttle and breathes in deeply, letting out a loud growl, _This feels like home, Shepard,_ he speaks, voice low and gravely and Shepard steps forward, clapping a hand on Grunt’s shoulder, _I’m ready for my Rite. I can feel the blood of my ancestors coursing through my veins!_ He cries, turning to Shepard with a gleam in his eyes.

Shepard answers back by leaning forward and bumping his head against Grunt’s, not a headbutt, but something else, something that makes Grunt chuckle and shove Shepard away—the trust is growing between them, that much is obvious, as if Grunt’s already made the decision that Shepard’s a formidable ally, it’s…so unlike the stories Alec’s heard of Krogan and Human relations.

They stand around the shuttle for several more minutes, going over the plan before setting off towards the Urdnot camp, buried deep within the ruins of Tuchanka; Alec brings up the rear, he doesn’t want to draw attention to himself—it’s usually only Shepard and two others, not Shepard, two others and a ship engineer and, that’s all he is, _just_ the engineer (he hears his mother’s crude voice somewhere in the back of his mind, _‘all you’ll ever be, Alexander, is an engineer’s assistant, nothing more’_ and he fights back the bile in his throat at that.)

-

Alec hears Grunt mutter something about the smell of pyjak shit as they enter the compound, and even through the suit’s filtered sound, he can hear several krogan cheering off to the side somewhere, the growls of varren joining in; he forces himself not to get distracted—he doesn’t distrust the krogan but he also doesn’t trust them; there won’t be any attacks on them here, but that doesn’t stop him from being alert.

Alec’s trust in Shepard is strong and these days, trust is something hard to come by—especially while working under Cerberus and even during his Alliance days there was always that _one_ chance that someone was going to do something for their own gains (he tries valiantly not to think of his parents, then) and working with Cerberus was something Alec wasn’t too keen on but he’d do _anything_ at this point, to stop the Collectors from eradicating anymore human colonies.

(He thinks of Lydia then, of the whispered stories of her then-fiancé who had been doing work with Exo-Geni, Lydia’s family didn’t really approve of their relationship, but John had proven himself competent and as much as there’d been a push for Alec and Lydia to marry; the two of them refused.

John had been one of the people taken from Horizon, he still remembers watching from the ship as Lydia’s prone body had been taken away by Alliance medics; Shepard had offered him a few words of condolences, had sent through a message to Anderson and then later, sent Lydia’s message to Alec—hell, he’d even offered to relieve Alec of duty if he wanted to spend time with Lydia.)

_Lightwood,_ Shepard says, snapping Alec out of his thoughts and Alec realizes he’d fallen behind just as he’d fallen into his thoughts, a dangerous place these days it seems, and he quickens his strides, coming to stand by Jacob while Shepard talks with a krogan shopkeeper.

A soft hiss of a whine causes Alec to look down; there’s a varren there, sitting back on its haunches—it looks a little scarred, it’s eyes staring imploringly up at Alec—he reaches out to pat it on its head just as the krogan shopkeep laughs loudly; he catches the guy telling Shepard that if he can do away with the pyjaks then he’ll give him a discount.

_He looks like one of the rejects from the fighting ring,_ Jacob comments, his voice low, as if he’s just talking to Alec even though Alec _knows_ that his words filter through the private channel in all their helmets, _A little small to be a fighter, probably bait._

Alec presses his lips together, he’s still not sure how to act around Jacob even though he and Jace get along amazingly, _A shame,_ he says, reaching out to pat the varren again, if he didn’t have to live in the crew quarters on the ship he’d offer to take the poor guy off the krogan shopkeep, although, judging by the pile of pyjak bones not far off, he suspects the krogan’s keeping the little guy as his pet.

As they head deeper into the camp, Alec notices that Shepard stays as far from the varren fighting ring as he can; not that he blames him, varren are horrible animals but fighting them is almost _too much_ at times—it reminds him of the stories he’d read in his studies, the old dog fighting cases from hundreds of years ago on Earth, before space travel.

Alec wonders briefly if Shepard’s read the same thing he has.

-

The pyjak problem takes very little time and soon, they’re heading back to speak with the krogan shopkeep who happily gives Shepard a discount and throws in a few extra credits as a reward and if Alec could describe a krogan as _glowing_ , it’d be the shopkeep, even the varren seems excited at the prospect of excess pyjak meat.

_Shepard, I believe the clan leader is ready,_ Grunt comments and Alec feels the nerves settle into his stomach again, the pyjaks, the varren, all of it a distraction—this was a diplomatic mission at its roots and nothing would change the fact that Alec was out of his comfort zone with this.

-

Alec can barely believe his eyes and he blinks several times to make sure he’s not imaging _Wrex_ sitting there on a makeshift seat of rubble and concrete piled up to form a chair of sorts; Shepard’s surprised too, if the way his voice hitches when he breathes out Wrex’s name is anything to go by.

_You were dead,_ Wrex says, blunt, it’s not unkind the way he says it but his voice does carry a bit of accusation, _And now you’re working with Cerberus._

Shepard, for the most part, takes it into stride, used to Wrex’s bluntness, _We both want to stop the Collectors,_ he says, _The Alliance wouldn’t do anything, neither would the Council._

_Predictable as usual. The council won’t do anything until it bites them in the ass._ Wrex looks every bit the leader he is as he straightens and stares Shepard down, _I received Joker’s message, you’re looking to send your tank-bred through the Rite,_ he says and that’s when he looks over at Grunt and stands; Alec takes a step back, giving Wrex enough room to walk around Grunt, taking him in. _He’s a little soft._

Grunt grumbles something under his breath and Alec sees him straighten up, puff his chest out, _I am filled with the blood of the best krogan. Don’t let my **softness** fool you. _

Wrex laughs loud at that and steps back, _I like your tank-bred, he speaks his mind,_ he says, glee in his voice and Grunt makes a noise, a _pleased_ noise. _I have no problem with him going through his Rite, he is, after all, a krogan._

(Alec exhales at that, not that he’d doubted Wrex would be against Grunt participating in the Rite, but they’d had very little on Clan Urdnot, they didn’t _know_ that Wrex was the clan leader—but knowing that, knowing they have an _ally_ with the clan, that makes everything better. The weight on his shoulders lighter.)

-

_I’ve got to say, Shepard,_ Wrex begins as Grunt moves away to mingle around the other krogan, as if sensing that Shepard and Wrex have unfinished business to speak of, _I didn’t expect you to bring along your engineer,_ his words are casual but Alec looks startled, turning his head to look over at Wrex—and Wrex, he’s looking _right_ at Alec, lips quirked in an almost grin. _I remember who you are Lightwood. Krogan don’t forget the men who save their lives, even if they’re human._

Alec’s once again rendered speechless; during Saren’s terror reign, he and Wrex had only crossed paths a handful of times and Wrex was too volatile, too angry then; Alec too reserved and hard headed to interact with him, still stuck in his own self-deprecating ways.

He, along with Jace had been the two who’d led Wrex to the medbay after he’d gotten hurt on a mission; not much could hurt a krogan, but a krogan against a krogan battlemaster super charged by Sovereign’s power—Wrex wouldn’t _die,_ but if they’d waited any longer, if Alec and Jace hadn’t acted then, Wrex would have been out of it the rest of the mission. The smell of burnt flesh still strong in his memory, one too many misplaced warps causing a disruption of Wrex’s regeneration abilities.

_Jace’s idea,_ Alec forces the words out when he realizes that Wrex is still looking at him, _I just helped him. He. You were injured, anyone would have done what I did._

Wrex laughs at that and Alec recognizes the sound, colored with the same deprecation that Alec feels daily, _Most humans would have let me die,_ he says, matter-of-factly, sitting down on his makeshift throne again, _So thank you, human. I’m glad that Shepard has managed to keep you with him._

Alec’s…not sure what to do with those words and saluting isn’t apt in this situation so he nods, waves his hand weakly, _Thanks,_ he says, voice wavering, _Me too. I’m…glad to help the Commander._ And it was the truth, the actual, _honest to god_ truth. His mother and father would be _livid_ now if they knew, working with Cerberus, with Commander Shepard, but also working closely with other races as well.  

_So Lightwood, Shepard tells me that you’re interested in the intricacies of krogan relations._ Wrex says, his yellow eyes watching Alec carefully, _Not to report to your parents, I hope._

He can’t help the way his stance shifts at the mention of his parents, his shoulders going tense, _I haven’t spoken to them since they defected from Cerberus last year,_ he says, _I don’t think they’d care to talk to me right now anyway._

Wrex grunts, _So you are aware of your parents’ dealings with Cerberus, and the human experimentation…not to mention the experiments on my people as well,_ he says, watching Alec in a way that would make younger Alec prickle, would make him want to fight.

Alec nods once, his arms coming to rest behind his back, _I’m aware,_ he says, _Despite my current…standings with Cerberus, I don’t condone anything they do._ He presses his lips together, casts a glance towards Shepard and then back at Wrex, _I follow Commander Shepard, not Cerberus. The Collectors have taken a lot from me, from my people and I’m sure you can respect the act of taking what you need in order to achieve a goal for the good of your people._

Wrex laughs, low and deep and when he looks at Alec again, he stands and stalks closer to him, _You’ve got a quad, Lightwood,_ he says and Alec briefly entertains the idea of headbutting Wrex, thinking back on Mordin’s words but he holds himself in check as Wrex circles around him, _Very admirable. You remind me of Ashley, though less…_ he trails off and Alec _swears_ , he sees Wrex’s eyes track down his body, _Either way, while Shepard and the Cerberus agent help Grunt during his Rite, I’ll allow you to stand by as I meet with an esteemed battlemaster turned diplomat who works close by our Shamans._

He’s once again taken by surprise, inhaling sharply, _Thank you,_ he says, _I’m only observing, I’ve…always been interested in how the innerworkings of different races’ politics work._ He pauses, _My parents wanted me to be a Councilor on the Citadel. They’re not…very happy with me being an engineer._

There’s an exhale, an almost laugh from Wrex, _How defiant of you,_ he says and then he moves to sit back down, _Come Lightwood, stand over here with me. I haven’t had much experience with the illustrious Bane, but I’ll trust you to protect me if anything goes south._

-

A hush settles over the camp sometime after Shepard, Jacob and Wrex disappear to the traditional grounds and Alec feels a little unsettled; it’s quiet now, most of the krogan dispersed from the area—he’s not sure where they went nor does he really care, it gives him time to think in silence, backdropped by the sound of the clan’s shaman whispering to Wrex.

_Bane is displeased. He sent a message several days earlier, it seems there’s some unrest, your brother is causing an uproar with the females._

Wrex’s reply is cut short by the arrival of Bane, the door hiding the stairs slides open, a flurry of activity exploding into the main compound as Bane walks inside, a severe looking krogan trailing behind him.

Alec isn’t sure what he expects, whatever picture he’d had painted in his mind about the krogan Bane gets thrown out the second he sets eyes on him—he’s tall, _regal_ , the air around Bane seems to crackle with biotic energy; his eyes are wide set, a bright, almost glowing _gold_. The ridge of his hump is a deep purple, a stark contrast to the blue of his robes—his skin is a deep tan color, worn and weathered and he looks every bit as otherworldly as a shaman should.

He doesn’t carry a weapon of any kind and he walks with a purpose towards Alec and Wrex and the Urdnot clan Shaman, Alec’s mostly worried about the krogan behind him, young from the looks of it, his hump a deep red that reminds him of human blood; he’s got a Graal, holding it against his chest on high alert.

_Raphael, at ease,_ Alec’s ears catch Bane’s words and the other krogan behind him lowers his weapon, eventually putting it away as the two of them come stand at the base of the steps up to Wrex’s throne. _Hello old friend,_ Bane’s voice is smooth, jarring for a krogan—Alec’s used to the gruffness of Wrex’s voice, the deepness of Grunt’s; the growling of the battlemasters and other krogan shopkeepers he’s come across in his travels.

Wrex stands to greet him, bows his head respectfully at Bane, _One hundred years since Omega,_ he says and Bane’s mouth stretches into a smile, _I hear there’s some unrest at one of the female camps,_ _Wreav causing trouble again?_

Bane’s smile cuts away into a grimace, _Ah, yes. He’s a pain in my hump,_ he says but there’s contempt in his tone, _He keeps bothering Catarina even though he **knows** she’s not interested. She’s unable to give him children as I and others have said but he keeps trying. Getting drunk on ryncol and interfering with our ceremonies; it’s getting a little old, my dear friend. _

Wrex curses and Alec stands a little straighter, Wrex seems actually distressed, _I’ll speak with him,_ he says, _He’s only supposed to be at the female camps long enough to drop off our warriors who choose to seek companionship._

_Well I assure you he’s doing that much but he’s also bothering the shaman camp as well._ Bane says seriously, _You know as well as I do that they do not appreciate that sort of interruption._ The gold of his eyes seems to glow and Alec’s breath catches, _We have an agreement, this clan and my shamans but I will not hesitate to protect my people._

Alec’s hand hovers at his side, where his pistol is strapped to his hip, he probably won’t need it; but Bane seems agitated and he did swear to protect Wrex.

_No need to be on edge human, I won’t harm anyone here,_ Bane says, turning his attention to Alec and he falters, hand falling away from his side as Bane’s gold eyes cut to him, _Wrex, I wasn’t aware you had a human here acting as an armed guard,_ he says coolly.

Wrex grunts at that, _Commander Shepard has brought his tank-bred here to complete his Rite, I’m merely allowing Lightwood to oversee a diplomatic meeting between two dignitaries._

Bane’s eyes narrow and Alec feels the heat of a _glare_ in his direction, _Lightwood,_ he says, _Your parents aren’t nice people. And you’re working with Commander Shepard? **With** Cerberus? _ It’s all said plainly but Alec can _feel_ the accusation.

_It sounds worse than it really is,_ Alec stutters out, _I uh, I don’t speak with my parents. They’re not. I follow Commander Shepard, I just want to help stop the Collectors;_ his voice cracks a little and Bane steps closer until he’s towering over Alec, staring down into his eyes.

Alec breathes in sharply and then Bane’s stepping back after what feels like hours; there’s a spark in Bane’s eyes now, something amused, _It’s a shame you humans have to wear a helmet,_ he comments off handedly, _I’m sure you’d look much more…pleasing…with it off._

His heart’s thumping against his chest, Bane’s close proximity causing Alec to feel _something_ (he _knows_ he’s gay, he’s had a crush on Lieutenant Alenko for _years_ , on various others, but finding a _krogan_ attractive is something he’s _not_ used to.).

Bane’s got a hint of a smirk on his lips, _I’ll allow you three days to sort everything out with Wreav before I take matters into my own hands,_ he says, not once taking his eyes off of Alec and Alec draws in a sharp breath when he sees the crackle of blue around Bane’s hands.

Wrex nods and opens his mouth to speak but there’s excitement, a bustle coming from the entrance to the sacred grounds as Shepard, Grunt and Jacob emerge, Grunt’s covered in blood and other muck but even from a distance, Alec can see the triumph and happiness in Grunt’s eyes.

_I’ll leave you to it then,_ Bane says, _It was a pleasure, Wrex, hopefully the next time we cross paths its not as unpleasant,_ and then Bane’s turning back to Alec, still smirking, _Lovely to meet you…_

_Alec,_ he says, all of his focus on the glowing gold of Bane’s eyes, _I’m Alec._

Bane’s eyes seem to grow brighter, _Well **Alexander,** it was very lovely to meet you. Hopefully the next time we’ll be on even grounds and I’ll get to see your face properly. _

Alec nods slowly, stuck on the way Bane had said his name, _Hopefully._ he echoes dumbly, _I need to uh, I should…_ he trails off, motioning towards where Shepard and Wrex are talking now.

_You should,_ Bane says, _Goodbye Alexander, I’ll be in touch._

When Alec walks away, he can feel Bane’s eyes on his back, watching him as he goes to stand just behind Shepard on the opposite side of Jacob; he feels it until they’re heading deeper into the camp, back towards their ship; Grunt’s loyalty secure now that he’s Clan Urdnot.

(He swears he can feel Bane’s eyes on him even when he’s back on the Normandy.)  

 


End file.
